MAYVILLE — Just moments before a chain-reaction crash in February 2020 in the town of Pomfret, Shanna Wilcox glanced in her rear-view mirror and saw what she described as a fast-approaching, dark colored vehicle.

While attempting to make a left-hand turn along Route 60 into the parking lot of a closed business, one vehicle drove around Wilcox on the shoulder while another was in the process of passing. However, a third vehicle made no effort to stop or drive around.

It was then, Wilcox realized, “I’m about to get hit.”

The moment her Kia Forte was struck square from behind to the moment it veered into the oncoming path of a semi-tractor trailer seemed “instantaneous.” The force of the collision, Wilcox said Monday, may have caused her to lose consciousness because the next thing she remembers was awaking to the smell of vehicle fluids and experiencing dulled senses.

“Waking up realizing I hadn’t died,” she said. “Everything seemed white; things seemed to have lost their color.”

For about four hours, Wilcox recalled in vivid — and often heart-wrenching — details the moments right before and after the multi-vehicle crash that resulted in the death of her 7-year-old daughter, Emmaline. She was the only person to take the stand Monday for the first day of a non-jury trial for Nicholas Mineweaser, who was indicted in July 2020 on charges of second-degree vehicular manslaughter and driving while ability impaired by drugs for his role in the fatal collision.

Wilcox’s testimony followed opening statements around 11 a.m. by Chautauqua County District Attorney Jason Schmidt and Mineweaser’s attorney, Michael Dwan. Mineweaser waived his right to a jury trial, meaning Judge Paul Wojtaszek will hear the case and render a verdict himself.

During his opening statement, Schmidt placed blame for the Feb. 24, 2020, crash on Mineweaser, stating that the Lakewood man was impaired from the use of marijuana prior to striking Wilcox’s northbound vehicle on Route 60 around 4:10 p.m. “He set forth a chain of events that killed that child, Emmaline Wilcox,” said Schmidt, noting the notoriously busy Route 60 that connects Jamestown and the Dunkirk/Fredonia area.

Schmidt asked the judge to look at the evidence “in its totality.” The DA said Mineweaser was observed to be impaired at the scene due to marijuana use; he also said Mineweaser’s ex-girlfriend will testify to his frequent use of the drug, which at the time of the crash was not legal to use recreationally in New York state.

Dwan, during his opening statement, said Emma’s death was tragic and gave his condolences to the family. “I can’t imagine what parents go through when they lose a child,” he said.

The Buffalo attorney described Route 60 as “one of the most dangerous highways in New York state,” pointing to the dozens of fatal collisions on the road in the last 50 years. Dwan noted supervisors of towns where Route 60 goes through who have complained over the road’s dangers and who have called for speed reductions in various spots.

Regarding the crash that killed Emma, Dwan said it was a “horrible accident.” He added, “In this world, horrible things happen that make no sense. Whether or not they’re a crime is another story. … The death of Emma was a tragic accident, but not due to a crime.”

Wilcox was driving her daughter from their Cassadaga home to a ballet, tap and jazz class in Fredonia as they had every Monday but missed a turn at Eagle Street. As she had done when she missed the turn in the past, Wilcox opted to continue on Route 60 and turn around at a closed business just up the road. However, when she reached the first open drive to the parking lot, she encountered oncoming traffic, including a semi, so she “crept” on, attempting to make the left turn at a second drive to the parking lot.

It was at that moment, after two vehicles passed to her right on the shoulder, she spotted the dark-colored vehicle approach. The sedan, driven by Mineweaser, did not attempt to stop or pass to the right.

Wilcox said she kept her eye on the vehicle in the rear-view mirror as it struck then looked forward and saw the semi.

Right after the crash she immediately thought of Emma. “The back of my car was gone and so was she,” said Wilcox, who broke down on the stand describing the frantic moments trying to locate her daughter then coming across her body.

Several members of the Wilcox family attended the first day of the trial and appeared emotional during the testimony. Mineweaser, who wore a tie and jacket in court and was seated next to his attorney, wiped his eyes at least twice as Wilcox described the aftermath of the multi-vehicle wreck.

Wilcox said a blond-haired woman who came across the crash helped by calling 911, her mother and husband. By that point, several motorists stopped to assist, and police arrived about 10 minutes later.

Dwan questioned Wilcox for about two and a half hours. Among his inquiries:

¯ Could she recall how fast she was going when she missed her turn at Eagle? Wilcox said she was going about 50 mph with the flow of traffic and immediately began to slow to turn around.

¯ Did she come to a complete stop to attempt a left-turn? She believes she stopped, though “black box” data from her Kia states she may have been moving around 10 mph at the point she was struck.

¯ Had she smoked marijuana the day of the crash? Wilcox said she smoked marijuana with her husband the previous day during a dance competition in Slippery Rock, Pa., as well as that night around 10:30 p.m. She did not smoke the day of the crash.

Both prosecutors — Schmidt and assistant district attorney Emily Woodard — and the defense questioned Wilcox on her frequent use of marijuana. She said she uses marijuana via a smoking device mostly at night with her husband before bed. Her smoking device and a small amount of marijuana were found in her vehicle following the crash. Wilcox said she put the device in her jacket pocket that morning and remembered it was there when she was taking Emma to class that afternoon.

Due to Election Day, the trial is set to resume Wednesday morning.